Today's Recipe

Today I am inspired to use the slow cooker I got from christmas of my parents. We ahve already used it twice with a slowcooker recipe mix - but this now holds some problems as I am currently doing the Tony Ferguson Diet. So it means in order to cook food in it I need nto start from scratch - good thing I was a chef in a previous life ...hehe.

So todays recipe is going to be like a vegetable and chicken pasta sauce based on tomatoes.

The Recipe:

Step 1:
Dice an onion and fry with a small amount of olive oil in a pan with some dried italian herbs - as we only had some thyme that is what I did mine with. ALso add about three cloves of crushed garlic.

Step 2:
Dice up some vegetales - from the fridge today we have zucchini, carrots and red capsicum. I also halved a punnet of baby roma tomatoes. Toss all this into the slowcooker.

Step 3: Take about 9 chicken thigh fillets and roughly chop into bite sized pieces - add to slow cooker on top of vegetables. Season with some salt and pepper.

Step 4: Scrape in the onion mix, add a jar of Pasata sauce - its an italian tomato sauce. Rinse jar with water and add to slowcooker.

Step 5. Cover slowcooker and turn on high to bring up to temperature, then turn down to low temperature and cook about 6 hours.


So its pretty easy and shall be rather tasty. I will stir in some fresh basil frm the garden just before serving. For my boys I will serve it with some pasta, I think I have penne in the cupboard. For me and my hubby (unless he wants the pasta) I may make some cauliflower rice or serve on some shredded and par steamed cabbage.

Will let you know how it turns out...
Cheers

Long time no post

wow its been a while and I guess life got in the way, I still want to set this up to share my recipes and it will also help me keep my own digital record of the hundreds I ahve in a folder form my chefing days.

Currently I am working on losing 10 to 16 kilos - via the Tony Ferguson Diet. Its not too bad and I have managed to do okay with it. I am loving being in the kitchen more cooking nice dinners.
Over the last two weeks I have made a veggie lasange, stir-fried pork served in lettuce cups (that was tonights and it was so yum - the kidlets even liked it they had seconds despite there being egg plant in it (I really don;t think they noticed).

Anyway vits late and I probably should head to bed, will comtinue tomorrow..
Cheers
Z

Quick and easy Chicken Pasta

This I call my don't really want to cook recipe.

You will need:

Some chicken - I used 5 thigh fillets - chop into small pieces
What ever vegetables are in your fridge I usually do carrot and broccoli but today I had mushrooms - dice up what ever you are going to use.

Crushed Garlic - a good tablespoon
Oil
Woolworths Homebrand Chunky Pasta Suace - I know its homebrand but it really is an awesome sauce, lots of flavour...

Pasta of choice - today we have Elicoidali

Method:

Chop/dice all ingreidents - chop vegetables first than chop your meat.

Heat large frypan/pot saute of garlic, onions and vegetables

When brown add meat :



Fry till cooked:



Pour in Pasta sauce and remember to fill bottle about a third with water to rinse out extra sauce ... pour into pan:



Bring to boil simmer about 10 minutes:



Once you have cooked the pasta, place pasta in a bowl and top with a large spoon of sauce.. enjoy with some yummy garlic bread.

The cakes fresh out of the oven... One has already been devoured at in-laws for afternoon tea..

My Recipes

Hello and Welcome;

I often get asked by friends for my recipes so I thought I would start a BLOG of all my favourites.

To start I will tell you what I have in the oven currently, and that is a Banana Cake. This is so simple and easy to make it just involves mixing all ingredients together and placing it in the oven to bake. It is a great way to use up ripe bananas and I find that the more ripe the nicer the cake.

The Recipe came from my sons' preschool as they would often make it with the kids, and the kids loved being involved...


Banana Cake Recipe

6 really ripe banana (mashed - kids love doing this)
250 grams butter (melted)
1 cup sugar (recipe says 1 1/2 but if using really ripe bananas add only 1 cup)
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 cups self raising flour ( I use 2 cups wholemeal self-rasing flour with 1 cup white Self-raising flour)
pinch salt
1 tsp bi-carb soda

Method
*mix all ingredients together and place in cake pans... this makes about 2 - 20cm cakes.
*Bake in oven at 180 degrees celcius for 40 to 50 minutes - until a skewer or knife comes out clean.

Note: I did make this once without the eggs as I completely forgot them - it was still a success....

Here is a picture after 10 minutes in oven...



I will post another when they are cooked.

Cheers